Brendan Cusack
| birth_place = Summit, New Jersey | residence = Glen Gardner, New Jersey | weapon = Foil | hand = Right | height = | weight = | club = Empire United Fencing | coach = Sean McClain | fitness = Shawn Cavitch | fieranking = current ranking | medaltemplates = }} Brendan Francis Cusack (born June 29, 1992) is an Irish and American dual citizen foil fencer who competes on the Irish national team. Background Born in Summit, New Jersey, Cusack acquired Irish citizenship from his paternal grandfather, John Cusack, who was born and raised in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland. He grew up in Glen Gardner, New JerseyConover, Allan. "Brendan Cusack is sharp in major fencing event", Hunterdon County Democrat, August 4, 2011. Accessed April 3, 2013. "The Glen Gardner resident, who was officially representing the Irish Fencing Federation, became the first Irish male to achieve such a lofty finish in the Senior Europeans and was also the only age under-20 fencer to place among the top 32 in the tournament, which is generally considered the most difficult and competitive championship in the world besides the Olympic Games." and attended North Hunterdon High School, where he won the New Jersey State individual fencing title in 2011. He began his fencing career in 2003. In 2008, he finished second in the Irish National Senior Championship. In 2010, he placed 39th in his first Junior World Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan. Later that year, he won the Irish Open Championship in Dublin, and in February 2011 won the bronze medal at the Junior World CupCusack claims bronze at Junior World Cup, Irish Examiner, World of Sports, page 24, February 28, 2011 in Aix-en-Provence, France. In March 2011, he won the New Jersey State HS Fencing Championship for the first time, after finishing 4th, 3rd and 2nd in previous attempts. As a result of placings achieved in previous World Cup events in Luxembourg, England, Austria, and Spain, he moved into the top 35 of the world rankings for under-20 fencers, and also qualified for the Junior World Championships in Amman, Jordan, where he defeated six opponents and finished 30th of 114 entrants from 48 countries. In July 2011, Cusack became the first Irishman to finish in the top 16 of the European Fencing Championships and subsequently was selected to represent Ireland at the European Zonal Olympic Qualifiers in Bratislava, Slovakia on April 21, 2012. As an adult, Cusack competed in men's foil at the 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2017 FIE world championships. In 2014 he won his only match at a senior world championship, advancing to the round of 64. His highest world ranking ever was 105th. Retrieved July 23, 2018 Results *26th European Senior Foil Championships, Poland (2016) *1st West of Ireland Open, Tipperary, Ireland (2015) *1st South of Ireland Open, Cork, Ireland (2015) *2nd Irish Open, Dublin, Ireland (2015) *18th Junior European Championships, Porec, Croatia (2012) *16th Senior European Championships, Sheffield, England (2011) *3rd Junior World Cup, Aix-en-Provence, France (2011) *1st New Jersey State HS Individual Championship (2011) *1st Irish Open Championship, Dublin, Ireland (2010) *3rd Irish Senior National Championship, Dublin, Ireland (2009) *2nd Irish Senior National Championship, Dublin, Ireland (2008) *8th US Junior Olympics - Cadet, Albuquerque, USA (2008) External links * Federation Internationale d'Escrime * Irish Fencing Federation * United States Fencing Federation * Brendan Cusack Web Site Footnotes Other References * Cusack is Sharp in Major Event * Bronze Medal for Brendan Cusack at World Cup * High School Top Performer - Brendan Cusack * Brendan Cusack is the Star-Ledger New Jersey Fencer of the Year 2011 Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Irish male fencers Category:North Hunterdon High School alumni Category:People from Glen Gardner, New Jersey Category:Sportspeople from Summit, New Jersey